Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Cosy By The Fireside With Andrew Kilpatrick: A ChipWinter Track-By-Track Breakdown

Ho-Ho-Holy Shit. If the
holiday season wasn’t exciting enough, the wonderful/not-workshy/probably mentally
unstable people over at Chiptune=Win have graced the world with the first in a
series of promised themed compilations, starting with the theme of winter. Sounding
like a condensed audio personification of Christmas, if this doesn’t get you in
the mood for mince pies, roast dinners and eggnog (is that actually a thing or
have years of US Sitcoms been lying to me?), then nothing will. You utter
Grinch. So without further ado, here is where we break it down:

BR1GHT PR1MATE- Linux and Lucy

Returning
for their second bout on a Chiptune=win comp, James and Lydia start proceedings
with a sweet and sour swirl. Delicate melodies and jazz/funk fm influences
swamp the track, and coupled with sampled voices which narrate, the track jumps
between sugar and spice repeatedly; the sugar hook will stay with you for
eons.

Having
appeared on Fox News, released the acclaimed ‘Night Animals’ earlier this year
and been credited for countless game OST’s, the Br1ght Pr1mate freight train
appears to be doing the very opposite of slowing. Frequent live performances
and an e-performance on the upcoming uber-web-show ‘WWCW 12’, keep a look out
for this duet’s fantastic live show too.

Vince Kaichan- Midnight Snowflake

Soft and
subtle seem to be the thematic qualities of this compilation, and if so then
‘Midnight Snowflake’ is the template. No jarring dynamic shifts or unannounced
jolts, just blissful frolicking through winter tundra and the feeling the
melodies could be icicle tendrils. Harmonically robust and beautiful, this
track can be added straight to Vince’s long catalogue of fantastic tracks.

With
releases as VCMG on Pxl-Bot and others on Noisechannel, Vince has shed his
newcomer badge long ago and has since become a well-established name in the
chiptune scene. If this is your first experience of Mr. Kaichan’s work, you’re
in for an early Christmas treat.

Professor Shyguy- We Three Kings

Convention
frequenter and pedlar of pop rock chiptune, Professor Shyguy brings his rather
nice (trying not to sound emphatically romanticised here) to a cover of ‘We
Three Kings’. How Christmassy does this sound? All of the Christmas.

Not one to
do things simply, the climax breaks from the mould to provide a darker and far
more Pink Floyd take on the classic carol, with screeching distorted guitars
and acoustic fiddling aplenty.

With a full
length and a new single both released this year, you’re more than spoiled for
material to keep you happy(er than you would otherwise be) over the Christmas
period. Head over to dat bandcamp now!

Mark ‘TDK’ Knight- Sunrise

The prolific
game music composer and BAFTA winner (!) TDK is returning to grace the chip
world with his masterful compositions. With a single coming out soon on the
deity house that is BleepStreet Records, Mark reintroduces himself here with a
chilled and icy jam that melds eastern melodies and jazz elements into a
consistently surprising and enjoyable track, with frequent nods to his previous
soundtrack work.

With more
skills, projects and awards than I can ever hope to cover in this short passage
of text, it’d be wise of you to check out the huge repertoire of this brilliant
composer and sound wizard. 20 pounds if you don’t see a game you recognise.

Storm Blooper- The Stellar Dendrite

Having been
around originally as Sub-Woofer Special since 2008, the reincarnation as Storm
Blooper has thus far brought with it two full lengths, a single earlier this
year and plenty of live performances, morphing to a more standard chiptune
affair to his present day dub inspired grooveathon. And here we arrive and
Blooper’s magnum opus, The Stellar Dendrite.

You’ll have
noticed the emission of anything even slightly wobble-influenced (now that I’ve
pointed it out) and not one to displease, Storm Blooper handles the job solo
and with gusto. Whilst not a wobble track per se, the grooves and dub flirts
will have you chomping at his hyper sweet bit through the pieces duration and
beyond.

Glenntai- Snowfall and Snowballs

With the
fondly remembered EP ‘Silly Hats Only’ from 2010 and a new EP in the works and
his hands full with the planning and leader of the newly formed and already
respected ‘Clipstream’, a monthly online chip festival (it is as brilliant as
it sounds), seeing Glenntai’s name appear on this compilation will likely have
excited many.

And here is
why: complex and experimental melodic tinkering laced into an upbeat and
wintery socket, carefully crafted to the smallest degree. Feeling fuller and
longer than its mere four minute play time, this masterfully conceived track is
a refreshing take on the hyper-happy chiptune of ye olde.

ABSRDST- Let Me Freeze

Since July
ABSRDST has released the mammoth-sized ‘Home Sweet Home’, the brilliantly
received and diverse ‘Sugar Blossom and the Space Cadets’ and most recently his
albumette ‘Rigby Wearing Shades’. Definitely a busy fellow.

Lending his
expert meanderings to ChipWinter, ‘Let Me Freeze’ takes six minutes of your
time to lead you through multiple genres and styles, coaxing out memorable and
tightly constructed melodies at every intersection, giving the track an
unparalleled flow. Building to an incredible climax with one final violently
adrenaline-coaxing twist, ABSRDST sure knows how to do ‘epic’ as well if not
better than most.

Daniel Capo- Frosted Over

Featured on
multiple compilations including a past Chiptune=Win and the fantastic
Perelandra Records compilation ‘Tide’, Daniel, has been carving himself a name
for professional sounding and presented chilled chiptune. ‘Frosted Over’ is no
different.

Mixing EQ
manipulation with subtle breakbeats and sporadic melodies, ‘Frosted Over’ has
an almost glitch-like quality to its wintery demeanour. The rising a falling of
the backing synth’s pitch and volume help add the dreamlike qualities of the
understated piano and unimposing harmonies, creating a track that truly
embodies the term ethereal.

Jay Tholen- Justice Delivers Its Death

There is a
lot to say about Mr. Tholen. The prolific progressive rock and chiptune connoisseur
has graced labels as respected as Pause and Ubiktune, with plenty, and I mean
plenty, of self-released pieces in between. With his game Dropsy in development
under the Tendershoot studio name,
Tholen is truly a man of many talents.

And creating
catchy chipfolk is one of said talents. Backed by female vocalist(s), the slow
crescendo of chiptune and acoustic builds to a tightly woven and emotional end.
The lyrics, whilst at times slightly unsettling in an obviously deliberate way,
work cohesively with the music to create Tholen’s truly unique and remarkable
atmosphere and style.

Vegas Diamond- The Ghost Of Christmas
Dance

Featured on
the Spanish equivalent of 8bitpeoples, LowToy, Vegas Diamond’s bittersweet jams
having begun to tease the ears of chiptune fans everywhere, and here is no
different.

Scales flow
over each other jumping from major to minor to create that bittersweet tinge of
sweet and sour. Starscream (Infinity Shred/Whatever) influenced chords rain
from this, sending astral snow into your speakers (I’ve always said the line
between space and ice themed is only a contextual one). Featuring one of the
most memorable melody and chord progression dualities on this compilation,
Vegas Diamond has continued their thus far unblemished record for great music.

Bitman- Next Stop, Detroit

Visitor on
the release pages of Noisechannel and with two other Eps under his belt,
Bitman’s dance LSDJ boogies this time go for winter’s thorax. Pulsating drums
and scales carry the first half of the track gracefully, before the mid-break
switches up the formula into a wide-eyed melodic call and response as scales
dance around each other in a hypnotic cycle. Memorable 3/4 hooks and dragging drums help
the track stand out from the LSDJ pack, and dissonant bleeps help create and
uneasily sub-zero atmosphere. Apparently Detroit is cold this time of year.

Shanebro- A Chipwinter Stroll

Winter drum
pumps fill the space left between the rising and falling scales of the tracks
beginning. Flowering into a melodic to and fro with the beats, Shanebro spends
the rest of the track experimenting with constantly shifting melodies and brief
motif reprisals. The mid-drum break has a real 80s ad-vibe about it, primed to
tug at the nostalgia toggles on anyone’s hearts.

With the
release ‘The Sky Is Ours’ over on Noisechannel and a full length in the works,
look out for this up-and-comer taking over this place.

an0va- Christmas Time Is Here

Frequenting
stages in the US and teasing the general populace with only one released EP
thus far, the fantastic ‘The Teaching Machine’, an0va is already a well-known
name and unique talent in the chiptune field.

‘Christmas
Time Is Here’ starts, sounding eerily similar to a lost song from The Snowman soundtrack, an0va uses a
blend of chiptune, guitar and expert atmospheric control to create an audio
personification of the festive season. Even before the jazz guitar begins, the
track’s slow lounge croon carries the listener, only heightened by the presence
of lucid and fluid guitar playing.

Kubbi- Polar Bear Rides

Chiptune=Win’s
very own Master Of The Tracklisteh provides another track for another
compilation in the wake of his fourth full length release, ‘ Circuithead’. With
a progressive twist to the melodically founded chiptune, these 80’s-esque
synths bring to mind Drive during the
winter months, snow drifting and cold stares. Melancholic and with the spirit of
the festive months etched into its psyche with great force, this winter paradise
stands out starkly in Kubbi’s extensively eclectic as another choice cut.

If you
enjoyed this track, definitely check out his other release from this year,
‘Sleet’, and last year’s full length ‘Transmittance’.

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Owned and written by Andrew Kilpatrick, with Alex Kelly around to help run it and Stephan Tul proofing, TWG was set up in March of 2012 and launched in July. The Waveform Generator brings the crème de le crème of chiptune influenced music to the world. This blog is where it all goes down, so check back frequently for more news as well as reviews, interviews, haikus and some sweet previews.